Born on Dec. 11, 1957, in Columbus, Ga., he was the son of Theodore Roosevelt and Sandra Jean (Colombo) Nelson. He attended elementary school in North Walpole, N.H., and graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre in 1975. He went on to attend Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center.

On Dec. 15, 1979, David and Darleen married in East Barre. Following their marriage, they made their home in Orange, Mass., and later returned to Vermont to South Barre. In 1997, they moved to their present home on Overland Avenue in Barre.

For over 30 years, David worked for Huntington Homes Inc. in Berlin and East Montpelier, first as a draftsman and later as an engineering manager.

A member of St. Monica Catholic Church in Barre, he taught catechism classes for several years and ran the religious store in the basement of the church on Sundays.

David enjoyed riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and tinkering on classic sports cars and was an auto enthusiast. He also liked to travel.

He is survived by his wife, Darleen Nelson, of Barre; two sons, Eric Nelson Brown and his wife, Kimberly, of Austin, Texas, and Jesse Nelson and his wife, Melinda, of Morrisville; two granddaughters, Grace Marie Nelson and Gwendolyn Jayne Nelson; his mother, Sandra Jean Nelson, of Vonore, Tenn.; his father and stepmother, Theodore and Patricia Nelson, of Northfield; a sister, Leigh Eddy, and her husband, Michael, of Riverside, R.I., and a brother, Stephen Nelson, and his wife, Ruth, of Connecticut; and several nieces and nephews.

Family and friends may call at the Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy St., Barre, on Thursday evening, Jan. 10, 2013, from 6 to 8 p.m.

His funeral service will be held on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at the convenience of his family. Interment will take place in the Hope Cemetery in Barre.